Fact check: Did Elon Musk say he has less than $850 million in cash?

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Elon Musk's current net worth is estimated at approximately $849–850 billion. He remains the world's richest person by a wide margin, far ahead of the next person on the list.

In mid-February, a rumor circulated online claiming that Elon Musk said he has less than $850 million in cash. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Elon Musk said he has less than $850 million in cash

Several social media posts claimed that Elon Musk said he has less than $850 million in cash, 0.1% of his net worth. An X user shared, "Elon Musk says he has less than $850 million in cash, 0.1% of his net worth."

Similarly, another X account posted, "Shocking*   Elon Musk says he has less than $850 million in cash… and that’s just 0.1% of his net worth. Imagine calling $850 million “0.1%” We’re not in the same world at all."

Meanwhile, an X account also mentioned, "#BREAKING Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, founder of xAI and Neuralink, says he has less than $850 million in cash — only 0.1% of his net worth."

"In a post on X, Musk explained that the vast majority of his fortune remains tied up in equity across his companies, particularly Tesla and SpaceX, rather than in liquid cash or easily sellable assets," the X post added.

Fact Check: True, Elon Musk made the claim in an X post

The claims made in the social media posts are true, as they are an accurate paraphrase of Musk's own statement on X, combined with his reported net worth. The Tesla CEO did not explicitly state the dollar figure, but it aligns directly with the math based on his wealth estimates.

On Sunday, February 15, Musk replied to a post discussing his potential to become a trillionaire, stating, "My 'net worth' is almost entirely due to my ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. I have <0.1% that is cash." The '<0.1%' phrasing means less than 0.1% of his net worth is liquid cash.

Interestingly, Musk's net worth is estimated at approximately $850 billion as of February 2026, after the surges tied to Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI valuations. If we calculate, 0.1% of $850 billion is $850 million.

Notably, Musk's wealth is heavily illiquid, which is common for high-net-worth individuals. This explains why even $850 million feels "low liquidity" to him, as noted in the original post.